My Name Is Sangoel

By Khadra Mohammed, Karen Williams, Khadra Mohammed, Catherine Stock (Illustrator)

A refugee boy finds a clever way to make his name heard in a foreign land.

4.4/5 Goodreads · 494 ratings

36 pages· 1,328 words· Est. 11 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Sangoel, a young refugee from Sudan, struggles to adapt to life in the United States. Amidst the chaos of a new world, he clings to his Dinka name, a cherished link to his past. As he faces the challenge of being misunderstood and feeling out of place, Sangoel devises a creative solution to make his name known. Will this act help him find a sense of belonging in a land so different from home? Discover how identity and ingenuity pave the way for acceptance in this touching tale.

From the publisher

Sangoel is a refugee. Leaving behind his homeland of Sudan, where his father died in the war, he has little to call his own other than his name, a Dinka name handed down proudly from his father and grandfather before him.

When Sangoel and his mother and sister arrive in the United States, everything seems very strange and unlike home. In this busy, noisy place, with its escalators and television sets and traffic and snow, Sangoel quietly endures the fact that no one is able to pronounce his name. Lonely and homesick, he finally comes up with an ingenious solution to this problem, and in the process he at last begins to feel at home.

Written by the authors of the acclaimed Four Feet, Two Sandals, this poignant story of identity and belonging will help young readers understand the plight of the millions of children in the world who are refugees.

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